The Trust On…
Peter Hammond (1936–2026)
It is with great sadness that the Trustees and Officers of the Yorkist History Trust announce the death on 28 October 2026 of Peter Hammond at the age of ninety. Peter was a founding Trustee of the Yorkist History Trust in 1985 (then the Richard III and Yorkist History Trust), and served as Chairman for many years.
Despite pursuing a career outside of medieval history, the fifteenth century was his passion and he dedicated much of his free time to both researching and promoting the subject. He published widely on various aspects of the life and times of Richard III, including indispensable source editions of Harley MS 433 (with Rosemary Horrox), of documents relating to the coronation of Richard III (with Anne F. Sutton), and of the Logge register of PCC wills (with Lesley Boatwright and Moira Habberjam). He authored several books and many articles (predominantly published in The Ricardian), and also researched – often with his wife, Carolyn – local history, especially of Chiswick and the surrounding area. At the time of his death, he was working on the third edition of The Complete Peerage, having in 1998 published a volume of addenda and corrigenda to the second edition. He was deeply involved in the Richard III Society, serving as its Research Officer and President.
Alongside instigating and supporting many of the Trust’s projects and publications, he also edited Richard III: Lordship, Loyalty and Law, published by the Trust in 1986 and reissued as a second edition in 2000. This volume represented the proceedings of a symposium held in 1985 to mark the quincentenary of Richard III’s reign and to offer the ‘present view’ of that king in light of the recent ‘explosion’ of publications on the fifteenth century.
The Trust is delighted to have been able to honour the contributions of both Peter and Carolyn Hammond with a festschrift, Loyalty Binds Me: Yorkist Studies for Peter and Carolyn Hammond, edited by Richard Asquith and Christian Steer. Published in 2025, it includes over thirty contributions from friends, academic colleagues, and admirers; a fitting tribute to a couple who dedicated so much of their energy to cultivating the inclusive and rigorous study of the fifteenth century. A highlight of the Trust’s Ruby Anniversary year was the launch of the volume at Barley Hall, York. An important surviving fifteenth-century merchant’s house, Peter and Carolyn were a driving force in its renovation and its opening to the public as Trustees of the Friends of Barley Hall.
Peter is survived by Carolyn, and will be much missed by all at the Yorkist History Trust and all those who knew him. He will be remembered for both his passion for history and for his jocular attitude and unswerving kindness and generosity.